Twitch just released a study that shoots down the stereotype that video game players are loner geeks who live in their basements – and the results also show why Twitch itself might be valuable to a company like Google.

The study, commissioned by the popular San Francisco video game site, concluded that game players – particularly those who are part of the Millennial generation – are more educated, optimistic, financially successful and socially conscious than non-gamers.

The study puts to bed the stereotype that gamers are “the basement-dwelling, not-particularly-socially engaged young men they were thought to be,” said Twitch Chief Revenue Officer Jonathan Simpson-Bint, former president of games media publisher Future US.

“Gamers lead more active social lives than non-gamers,” Simpson-Bint said. “They’re closer to their families, more optimistic about the future. And they’re very socially conscious.”

A Twitch spokesman declined to comment on published reports that Google’s YouTube was offering $1 billion to buy Twitch. The entertainment industry news outlet Variety first reported in mid-May that the deal was “imminent.”

The new report is from research firm LifeCourse Associates, which specializes in studying the Millennial generation. The company’s president, demographer Neil Howe, is credited with co-coining the term Millennials. The study was based on a March survey of 1,227 people aged 13 to 64.

Millennials are a key demographic for Twitch, which has more than 45-million monthly viewers.

According to the report:

– 57 percent of gamers said their friends were the “most important thing” in their lives, compared with just 35 percent of non-gamers who agreed with that statement.

– 82 percent of gamers agreed that “spending time with my family is a top priority,” compared to 68 percent of non-gamers.

– 16 percent of non-gamers lived alone, compared to 10 percent of non-gamers, and they were more likely to watch TV by themselves (23 percent to 40 percent.)

– 76 percent of gamers agreed that “having a positive impact on society” was important, compared to 55 percent of non-gamers.

Twitch became popular because members live-stream video games while they play for others to watch and learn. It is also a portal for video game news and watch e-sports tournaments.

Next week figures to be huge for Twitch because it plans to stream the major press conferences and game news from the annual industry conference E3 in Los Angeles.

Twitch viewers are watching less traditional TV, which the study also quantifies: About 59 percent of gamers said they watched more online content this year than last year, and 36 percent said they would rather watch streaming programming than conventional TV.